So, because I've got an inordinate desire to have a successful Byzantium game, I've been slamming my head against the wall for the last week or so trying to get a good go at it. During this time, I have realized several things; 1) Having to rely upon AL allies to pull you through something is the most infuriating thing short of an hour long war against the Ottomons being undone by the last crucial battle where you roll nothing but 0s, 2) The Ai seems to work amazingly well against you, but turns into idiots as soon as they are on your side, 3) Hungary and Serbia deserve all the wrath I will bestow upon them when I finally succeed at a run, 4) I swear this game hates me and I have the worst luck in this game compared to other paradox titles.
Finally, 5) Some of these runs are amusing in their level of sorrow inducing despair, and breaking the back of the Ottomons is a nice consolitary prize to leave these alternate histories with when I move on to the next attempt, so I might as well consolidate some of the more fun ones here.
Note: I also wouldn't mind strategies people recommend that have a decent chance to work, especially by yourself. I loved the old strategy of building up a fleet, declaring war on the Knights to take out Venitian ships to capture them, then trap the Ottomons on your islands with your fleet. But that was before Cradle, and since then I don't think its possible to construct a fleet potent enough to come out ahead of the Venetians for that first war, yet alone against the Ottomons afterwards since they seem to want to spam out 20-25 gallies and transports each now.
Notable Attempt Number One: The game that almost was, until the AI remembered its not meant to be my friend.
Couldn't get an Alliance with Hungary, but I grabbed a decent alliance block with Albania, Wallachia, and Theodoro. The early war goes amazingly, with 20-30k united behind Skandeburg we've worn down the Ottomon manpower and am slowly sieging down all of the Ottomon's greek territories. Near 10-20 divisions of Ottomon troops must have been annihilated in stack wipes due to catching 5-8k stacks by themselves and demolishing them. As soon as Edeirne is occupied, should snowball into a win. Theodoro is the only slacker here, as its troops hang out around the Chrimean region even if no enemy troops are present there, but it white peaces out early anyway, and the alliance block is strong enough.
Then Athens runs off with its 3k troops despite being told to be supportive and my own army allowing it to attach. It practically runs into the only sizable remaining Ottomon army, and gets itself completely wiped out. Later, Wallachia pulls its 4-6k troops off of the army, and also runs itself into the Ottomon's army, getting stack wiped. Ottomon's gather their remaining manpower together for a 20k army, attacks the remaining army of Albania and Byzantines (around 15-18k), where upon bad roll after bad roll comes up, the highest roll on my side is a five against pretty good rolls from Ottomons. Battle's lost, pull back into the Greek territories, Ottomon's swiftly unsiege their fort in greece and crush our remaining armies. :|
Notable Attempt Number Two: My Anger At Hungary Begins
Get Alliance block with Albania, Hungary, and Wallachia. Woo, this should be possible..! Hungary declares war on Wallachia early, darnit. Refuse call to war because I need Hungary's help more than Wallachia's, sorry Vladimar. That takes 6k troops off of my coalition. Still have Albania and Hungary though, this should work out. Declare war on Ottomons after Hungary will join in with Albania and I, war goes relatively decently, no real ground made either way, but through careful battles and sieges, the Ottomons numbers are starting to dwindle. Hungary is being relatively inept, mostly keeps its troops wandering through its territory but occasionally comes down to the Bulgarian area. Then Albania pulls its troops completely out of the theater and starts traveling off to Italy... because it was brought into a war against the Papal States, leaving us without their men (Skandeberg had died early, but a decent general roll with a lot of luck on drilling got me a 6/4 general, which was allowing me to destroy the Ottomons with that alone). Then Hungary white peaces out with the Ottomons... Then Alabania does the same. Its at that point that I notice that Albania has not taken any casualties at all in this war and must have only contributed to sieges, never joining in on battles. Now left with an Ottomon Empire which is done with my defiance and gathers all its men into a 30k+ army and stack wipe chases me all the way past Athens.
Lets see how long until Notable Attempt number three comes up! So far, the only thing that's happened is my hatred for Hungary and Serbia have grown; like when Chrimera became the Ottomon's vassal before they declared war, so Hungary had all of its 20-30k troops sitting around up there and leaving me and Albania to fend for ourselves in Greece... Until Hungary white peaced out.
Finally, 5) Some of these runs are amusing in their level of sorrow inducing despair, and breaking the back of the Ottomons is a nice consolitary prize to leave these alternate histories with when I move on to the next attempt, so I might as well consolidate some of the more fun ones here.
Note: I also wouldn't mind strategies people recommend that have a decent chance to work, especially by yourself. I loved the old strategy of building up a fleet, declaring war on the Knights to take out Venitian ships to capture them, then trap the Ottomons on your islands with your fleet. But that was before Cradle, and since then I don't think its possible to construct a fleet potent enough to come out ahead of the Venetians for that first war, yet alone against the Ottomons afterwards since they seem to want to spam out 20-25 gallies and transports each now.
Notable Attempt Number One: The game that almost was, until the AI remembered its not meant to be my friend.
Couldn't get an Alliance with Hungary, but I grabbed a decent alliance block with Albania, Wallachia, and Theodoro. The early war goes amazingly, with 20-30k united behind Skandeburg we've worn down the Ottomon manpower and am slowly sieging down all of the Ottomon's greek territories. Near 10-20 divisions of Ottomon troops must have been annihilated in stack wipes due to catching 5-8k stacks by themselves and demolishing them. As soon as Edeirne is occupied, should snowball into a win. Theodoro is the only slacker here, as its troops hang out around the Chrimean region even if no enemy troops are present there, but it white peaces out early anyway, and the alliance block is strong enough.
Then Athens runs off with its 3k troops despite being told to be supportive and my own army allowing it to attach. It practically runs into the only sizable remaining Ottomon army, and gets itself completely wiped out. Later, Wallachia pulls its 4-6k troops off of the army, and also runs itself into the Ottomon's army, getting stack wiped. Ottomon's gather their remaining manpower together for a 20k army, attacks the remaining army of Albania and Byzantines (around 15-18k), where upon bad roll after bad roll comes up, the highest roll on my side is a five against pretty good rolls from Ottomons. Battle's lost, pull back into the Greek territories, Ottomon's swiftly unsiege their fort in greece and crush our remaining armies. :|
Notable Attempt Number Two: My Anger At Hungary Begins
Get Alliance block with Albania, Hungary, and Wallachia. Woo, this should be possible..! Hungary declares war on Wallachia early, darnit. Refuse call to war because I need Hungary's help more than Wallachia's, sorry Vladimar. That takes 6k troops off of my coalition. Still have Albania and Hungary though, this should work out. Declare war on Ottomons after Hungary will join in with Albania and I, war goes relatively decently, no real ground made either way, but through careful battles and sieges, the Ottomons numbers are starting to dwindle. Hungary is being relatively inept, mostly keeps its troops wandering through its territory but occasionally comes down to the Bulgarian area. Then Albania pulls its troops completely out of the theater and starts traveling off to Italy... because it was brought into a war against the Papal States, leaving us without their men (Skandeberg had died early, but a decent general roll with a lot of luck on drilling got me a 6/4 general, which was allowing me to destroy the Ottomons with that alone). Then Hungary white peaces out with the Ottomons... Then Alabania does the same. Its at that point that I notice that Albania has not taken any casualties at all in this war and must have only contributed to sieges, never joining in on battles. Now left with an Ottomon Empire which is done with my defiance and gathers all its men into a 30k+ army and stack wipe chases me all the way past Athens.
Lets see how long until Notable Attempt number three comes up! So far, the only thing that's happened is my hatred for Hungary and Serbia have grown; like when Chrimera became the Ottomon's vassal before they declared war, so Hungary had all of its 20-30k troops sitting around up there and leaving me and Albania to fend for ourselves in Greece... Until Hungary white peaced out.
